“Put it away,” the wizard said, and now there was only weariness in his voice.
“Who do you think you are? Just who the fuck do you think you are that you can pull the strings of people’s lives like that?”
“I had a whole world to save, Lance. A whole world.”
Emily turned from him, thrusting her sword back into her belt as she did and walking away up the beach. She was losing control of her anger, and she was afraid of what she might do if she couldn’t rein it in.
Marianne was wrong about many things, but she had been right about him. He had used her. Used her like a pawn in his cosmic game of chess.
She walked on, making her way down the beach and away from the cave. She wanted to be alone. She needed time to regain her composure before she faced the others.
Tears blurred her eyes as she stumbled onward, staring only at the sand that passed beneath her feet. Her whole life—her whole entire life—orchestrated to serve the players in a war she’d had no stake in. How she hated him—Merlin the Great…Merlin the liar…
“I had a whole world to save, Lance. A whole world.” His words echoed in her head, and with each repetition, her hatred only grew. It had been her life—hers—and she should have been given the choice.
She stumbled on the uneven ground and looked up to find herself standing beneath the rocky cliff where she and her friends had nearly lost their lives. A few feet away, nearly erased by the wind, she could just make out the depression in the sand where Celine had sacrificed so much to bring her back from the brink.
She moved to kneel beside it, reaching out to touch the sand where she’d lain dying only a few short hours before. A few dark maroon spots still stained the fine white grains beneath her fingers. She brushed them away, watching as they disappeared. Was that how he’d erased first her father and then her mother from her life? Was it as easy for him as scattering a few grains of sand?
“There’s still time,” Derek had told her. “If you choose to stay, there will be much left for you to do. Your journey has barely begun, Emily of the Haven.”
“Emily!” Corbbmacc’s voice broke into her thoughts, and she turned to see him coming down the beach toward her. There was no brooding scowl upon his face, no line of irritation between his brows. She saw only concern in his eyes, and she was surprised to feel her heart lighten at the sight of it.
She stood, brushing the sand from her knees, and watched as he made his way toward her.
“What are you doing out here?” he asked, stopping just short of her and smiling that same crooked smile she’d seen once before. It changed his whole face, accentuating his handsome features and stripping years away. She liked that smile.
“I needed some time to think.”
“Oh.” He flushed and looked away. “Sorry. I’ll…”
“But I think I’m done now,” she said, and she took his hand in hers. “What’s for breakfast?”
They started back up the beach that way, moving slowly toward the cave, toward her friends, toward whatever lay ahead for them in this strange new world, and as they did, she looked out over the waves that rose and fell across the surface of the lake.
I will not be a pawn, she thought. I am a knight. I am the First Knight, and I will walk the path of my own choosing.
The end
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
There are so many people who have contributed in some way to the creation of this first volume of the Dragon’s Brood Cycle. This project has been a long time in coming, since the initial seed for the story was planted in my brain over twenty years ago. Still, I shall endeavor to do my best to acknowledge everyone who helped in various ways, be they large or small, to the writing of this book.
Thanks must first go to my parents, Brad and Robin, who instilled a love of both reading and all things sci-fi and fantasy in me. They’ve encouraged my adventures in literature for decades and have read all the various short stories and half completed works I’ve produced in that time. Thank you.
I raise a glass to my sister and brother-in-law, Sarah and Michael, for their enthusiasm and boundless support in all my crazy endeavors.
My love and thanks go to Molly, my other half, who patiently read and reread this book multiple times to help make it the best that it could be. Without her seemingly limitless support, this book would have never existed.
A tip o’ my hat to Max Naylor, who provided the marvelous cover artwork on a tight schedule, and who apparently had far too much fun doing so. There are just some ways in which a rose and clover should never be depicted.
My eternal gratitude to my friend Holly Anderson, who edited and proofed the final draft, running madly against the clock.
Thanks to Eric, Darcy, Jon, Cara, Barry, M.J., and Briley, who read the earliest drafts of Haven Lost and provided fabulous feedback. This book is far better because of you.
During the writing of this book, I watched, and received inspiration from, the Penn State Women’s Hockey team. Their tenacity in the face of adversity helped shape Emily’s character as well as provide a backdrop for the story as a whole.
Finally, I want to extend a huge thanks to you, reader, for taking the chance on this first-time author and picking up this book. I hope you’ll come with me to see what lies ahead for Emily as she continues her journey.
MORE BY JOSH DE LIONCOURT
The Dragon’s Brood Cycle
Haven Lost (Vol. 1) – (2014)
Harmony’s Song – (2015)
Haven Divided (Vol. 2) – (2018)
Other Books
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: A Character Guide and World Compendium – (2017)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Josh de Lioncourt was born and raised in California and enjoys writing projects in a variety of fields, including fiction, music, software, tech articles, and more. He has written on Apple accessibility for Macworld and Maccessibility, hosts or participates regularly on several podcasts, and writes and records music with Molly, his wife. Josh enjoys the works of Stephen King, the music of George Michael, Masters of the Universe, Los Angeles Kings hockey, and home-roasted coffee. He currently lives in Pennsylvania.
https://lioncourt.com
Haven Lost Page 47